Flood victims say work will not protect homes

Lisa Pullen from Fairfield Green in Monkseaton who is still having issues with North Tyneside Council over flooding. GM031255

Residents living in a flood plagued area have said the council’s efforts to alleviate the problem will not provide adequate protection to their homes.

The Fairfield Green residents in Monkseaton, have been hit by flooding seven times in the past nine years.

Last year the News Guardian reported how one resident had been forced to pay for flood defences in a bid to save her property from further damage.

Now the council has said it will begin flood alleviation work on the street in the coming weeks, with phase one of the programme involving enlarging and improving ditches to the rear of the road, and improving drainage.

But resident Lisa Pullen said the plans will not be good enough.

“Many residents of Fairfield Green feel the scheme will not provide adequate protection to properties,” she said.

“The new scheme involves channelling more surface water towards Fairfield Green into a drainage system that is exceeding capacity at present.

“The drainage ditch is not maintained and has collapsed in many places.

“Myself and many other residents have expressed our serious misgivings regarding this scheme and all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

“The scheme is inadequate and we will flood again.

“Properties in Fairfield Green have flooded repeatedly since 1998 and my own property has flooded seven times since 2005.

“As all previous time scales for works to begin have never materialised, I am yet to see any real intention of the council ever providing a flood alleviation scheme that will be sufficient to end the evident suffering these flood events cause.”

Mayor Norma Redfearn said: “Flood prevention is a top priority for this council and I’m so pleased that work is starting on this in the next few weeks.

“Flooding is dreadful it causes distress and misery to everyone involved.

“Something has to be done to minimise the risk, and our engineers have pulled out all the stops to come up with this scheme to build water storage areas and improve the ditches on private farmland.

“This work will happen in several stages, but once fully complete, it will bring peace of mind to the residents and businesses in that area, and give them a level of protection and reassurance they have never had before.”

The council has arranged a drop-in session on Monday, April 7, at Monkseaton High School, from 5pm to 7pm to give details on its plans.